CARING for Your Skin…and You.

Harmful Habits, which Can Affect your Skin

August 23, 2011

Our everyday morning habits can be damaging to your skin – and you don’t even know it! The main morning culprits are ; 1.) Taking a very hot shower and not knowing that it will make your skin very dry, 2.) Not getting enough sleep and then your stress hormones may aggravate you acne, and 3.) After you realize that you did not receive adequate sleep, you will head for that cup of coffee, which will create more dehydration.

Dr. Wright’s Tip

While there are some factors we can’t control — like age, genetics and hormones – there are many things we can do to keep our skin healthy and looking younger for years to come: To address some of the concerns just mentioned, and also some more helpful hints, read on to discover how to be a “healthier you”.

1. Staying Too Long in the Shower-

A maximum of 15 minutes in the shower should be enough to cleanse your skin and perform your bathing ritual. If you stay longer, water can cause wrinkling of the top dermal tissues. It can also trigger an imbalance of moisture production.

2. Drinking Caffeine-Rich Drinks-

It is always a joy to sip hot coffee early in the morning. After all, coffee also contains anti-oxidants that can keep cells happy. But, those tiny lines and wrinkles in the corners of your eyes are caused by your excessive consumption of caffeinated drinks – and that will not make you so happy after all! Caffeine can also be found in other sources such as soda and tea, and too much caffeine in your blood stream can cause the constricting of blood vessels. When this happens, fluid cannot flow easily to the dermis and cells which will lead to dry skin problems and wrinkles.

3. Touching your Skin too Much –

First of all, the act of rubbing or scratching your skin is already bad. This habit tears skin tissues, especially those that are already fragile to begin with. As well, with frequent “playing” the daily dirt of your hands will transfer and your skin can get infected. Acne infections can also occur when the skin swells from irritation and then the pores will clog and trap bacteria. So hands off your face and enjoy a great complexion!

4. Passive Smoking-

If you are a non-smoker, consider yourself healthy. You are not susceptible to the usual aging problems smokers experience. But if you are always surrounded with people who are smoking, the nicotine and other chemicals from cigarettes are also affecting you, by causing a faster aging process. Second-hand smoking, also known as passive smoking, is as dangerous as first-hand smoking. You can still inhale the smoke coming from tobacco. Your cells absorb the chemicals in it, thereby speeding up deterioration of your skin structure.